


Hyrulean Spring Chase

by IceShadow92



Category: The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time
Genre: Easter Egg Hunt, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:09:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29775966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceShadow92/pseuds/IceShadow92
Relationships: Link/Malon (Legend of Zelda)
Kudos: 4





	Hyrulean Spring Chase

Malon stood before the crowd in the paddock of Lon Lon Ranch as a veil of pink came over the quickly fleeting night. They were all muttering excitedly but were also a little nervous, for the morning would bring the much-awaited Hyrulean Spring Chase. She could even hear the horses and Cuccos in the barn getting excited. And she too held the same cheery anticipation, even though she never attended the Chase before.

Word spread that the fabled Golden Cucco had returned that night. Folks would say that it hadn't been seen since before the civil war, and that it would return once peace came to Hyrule, on the first full moon of spring. They said that people would try to catch rabbits for luck (Malon heard about rabbits from her dad, but never saw one herself), and that something special would happen for whoever finds the Golden Cucco's egg...

The muttering of the crowd grew louder and more excited as the pink veil grew brighter. A streak of orange appeared against the grate on the wall to the east, and then -

"CUCKOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

A great crowing of a Cucco came from the distance, echoing around them all. A crisp, clear breeze blew after the call of the dawn, bringing a floral fragrance of joyful spring. The crowd was silent, still gleeful as ever. Then Malon called out, "Let the Chase begin!"

Everyone ran out to the fields, cheering and laughing. Malon gave a nervous chuckle herself; things got so much better since Ganondorf's reign of terror ended. But she also sighed quietly as she thought of her own wish.

Following the crowd outside the ranch, Malon stepped out into Hyrule Field. Immediately she was struck by how lush the grass was now, vibrant flowers dotted everywhere, butterflies fluttering between them and bees buzzing busily around. Everyone was bounding around the field, falling into the grass (Malon couldn't tell whether it was by accident or if they meant it), laughing as they took in It was such a wonderful sight; without realising it she burst into song. It had just come into her head, and some small furry animals with long ears hopped over to her, along with some of the butterflies and bees nearby. It was like the spring itself had come to hear her sing.

One of the furry animals came closer to her, ruffling its nose timidly. She was positively smitten with it, but moved carefully so not to scare it. Getting down on her knees, she raised her arm and stretched her hand out slowly, inviting it to come over. The little critter gave one hop...then a second...and then it got close enough, rubbing its face over her hand. Truly enamoured, she began stroking behind its ear, and then picked it up and gave it a cuddle. The other animals sat comfortably as the insects flew around her, when she found a green egg nestled in the grass to her side. She picked it up in her left hand, and spotted a small boy lay on his front, taking glances at her from fifty feet away.

Malon got up, still holding the little creature and stowing the egg in her pocket. She took five steps before she nearly got ran into by a man clutching a blue egg. The furry critter seized up and gave a squeak of fright; Malon scowled after him before giving it a gentle stroke, and she whispered, "Hey, it's OK, nothing's going to hurt you." She went over to the boy, who she saw was trying to draw something on a piece of parchment. He looked up at her as her shadow covered him, went red and tried to hide the paper. Malon giggled, "Were you drawing me?" The boy shook his head, still red in the face. Malon smiled at him. "That's really sweet! Can I have a look?" The boy, still red and embarrassed, showed her the picture.

It showed a lady with long red hair next to a tree, flowers around her, and surrounded by butterflies and those cute furry creatures. Just like the one she was holding!

"I really like that! Tell you what..." Malon proceeded to put her hands in her pockets, and took out the green egg. "Here, why don't you give me that picture? It's a really sweet drawing, and I think you'll like this egg!" The boy looked surprised, and then handed over the drawing. When Malon gave him the egg, it suddenly began to quiver and make cracking noises. Was it about to hatch? Cracks started to appear in the shell, little green chips coming off until...

The shell opened, and revealed a gleaming emerald chick, cheeping away in the boy's hand. He looked at it with a sparkling expression, and then gave a little stammer. "Th-thanks, miss! I'll take care of it as best as I can!" Malon grinned back, and replied, "And I'll take care of this picture too! Huh? What's this..?" A small note fell out from it, and the furry critter in her arms jumped down and sniffed at it. The boy looked at it and frowned, "Huh? I didn't put that in there - whoa, what? There's something in that egg shell too!"

It was noon now and everyone was still running around, laughing and having fun. Some of them were clutching eggs, and a few caught the same furry critters that Malon was holding. There was a man with blonde hair who had a purple egg, and was running towards the east. Malon thought she recognised him, and decided to follow. After about an hour's running, she found herself face to face with a large hollow tree-like opening. She hesitated for a moment, and then entered to meet the cool green shadows within. She wondered why she didn't get lost in here; they did say that whoever enters the Lost Woods never comes back out, but if this man was who she thought he was...

It had to be him; she could see the light of a fairy guiding him as his footsteps crossed a wooden bridge suspended by thick ropes, into the shadows of another hollow tree. She continued running after him, still clutching the furry creature, determined to see him again...

After crossing the shade of the forest, Malon found herself in a large sunny clearing; a village filled with children, just like she remembered him when she was a girl. Boys and girls each wore green tunics and had fairies accompanying them, although some had different hats on. These must have been the fairy kids, same as him! She looked on in wonder as they played outside stump-shaped houses, some filling watering cans by a stream fed from a cliff overlooking the village on her left. There were a few of them walking to and from a path leading from the bottom of the cliff, on the other side of the village. And one of them was walking back in a tree stump house, clutching a purple egg.

Then she spotted some boot prints heading towards a small plateau of ground, leading up the cliff. She ran over and, placing the furry critter on the raised plateau, hefted herself up with relative ease (being a farmer's daughter gave her a good amount of strength). Then she picked it up and reached a wall covered in vines. They looked strong enough to hold a person, so she stowed the little animal in a pouch on her front, and began to climb. But then she stumbled, falling off the vines as her back met the ground with a groan. It wasn't a long fall, which was a relief to her; the little critter looked fine if a bit shaken. She got straight back up, ready to climb again. She grabbed the vines and hoisted herself up, this time a little more carefully, until she reached the top of the cliff.

From here, she looked down at the village. It was quite the experience, seeing a place with more than three people from a high place. The stream pouring down from somewhere on the cliff that she couldn't see or reach. The path near there, where some of the fairy kids took their watering cans to and from.

Moving onward, she turned and found a statue with a big eye marking on it. It looked kind of creepy; the eye seemed to pierce Malon right down to her soul. She wondered whether the statue knew what she was thinking, or of her own wish. The thought of it gave her the heebie-jeebies, and even the furry critter in her arms seemed spooked. Now a little unnerved, she felt a bit less keen on going through the hollow tree opening to her right. But gathering her courage, she went into the opening, her shoes clacking against the hollow wood.

Back into the cool green shadow of the Lost Woods, Malon lost track of him. She didn't want to move too quickly; she felt like she could get lost very easily here. Her steps became slower, and she thought she could hear a strange song in this forest. It sounded like it came from an ocarina, its tune echoing oddly through the trees. There were three hollow openings to go through, and she got a bad feeling about them all. The furry critter's ears stood up, and it suddenly jumped from Malon's arms, running to the opening on the right. "Hey, wait! Come back here!" She instinctively ran for the animal as it hopped forwards.

Two more openings came before her, each as elusive as the other. Now she was worried that she lost it, and felt sad at the loss of her little friend. Instead of taking either of the openings, or the one where she came from, she instead went down the ladder to a clearing in front of her, sitting on a stump with her cheek in her hand. She really didn't want to be stuck here alone, not when she could get so easily lost...

"Hee hee! He said you were following him!"

Malon looked up at the voice in the woods, saying nervously, "Wh-who's there?" The childlike giggle answered, "A friend of his! You wanted to go through the woods, right? Hee hee hee!"

A whirling of leaves came from behind Malon, and she jumped and fell off the stump as a kid-like figure appeared, dancing and laughing. He looked like a scarecrow, with his wood-like body and straw-like clothes. And he was twirling a flute around his fingers as he giggled. "Listen for the ocarina! He's playing her song, the song of the forest!"

"Her? Who -?"

But the scarecrow-like figure started playing a song on his flute, sounding exactly like the song on the ocarina. It suited the woods perfectly, and it made her cheer up just hearing it. "Listen for the song! He's waiting for you to come see him! Hee hee!"

And the scarecrow kid vanished with another whirl of leaves. A bright yellow egg was left sitting on the stump. "Oh, before I go, he told me to give you this! Hee hee!"

Taking the egg, Malon turned and climbed up the ladder to where the tree openings were. The middle one was where she came from, and the song echoed off the bark on the opening on the right. She took the right, stowing the egg in the pouch on her front as she moved slowly, straining her ears. A stone arch stood straight ahead, and the ocarina song sounded to her right. A pool of water, the song to her left. Straight ahead...straight ahead...left...right...

Malon found a large area of hedges, with a heavy metal gate that was open. Once she went through the gate, she managed to get lost; it was a maze. "Now what am I gonna do?" But then the furry critter came back to her. "Oh, you're back! Wait up!" But the critter hopped from her, then looked back. Then it dawned on Malon. The little furry critter knew the way into the maze! She ran after him, turning this way and that...

Finally, the critter jumped into her arms as they reached a staircase. There was a four-leaf clover in his mouth; he dropped it in her pouch. She climbed up the stone steps, across a narrow strip of grass surrounded by cliffs, up another row of stairs...

She found him.

He was sitting on a tree stump, playing the song of the forest that carried all over the woods. There was a stone plinth between them, with a strange symbol in the middle of the Triforce etched into the rock. As Malon walked towards him, she noticed some faint voices in her head, a whisper in the wind. As her boots went from soft earth to the hard stone, the whispers grew into a murmur. She could hear their tone; it was just like the song! An idea came to her; setting the furry critter on the ground, she placed the egg in the middle of the Triforce pattern, and began to sing. As the notes came out, the voices sang with her and the ocarina. Then more voices came forth, talking in her head. They sounded happy and warm, like they were celebrating. They talked about a "Deku Tree sprout" that had just started growing; a sage protecting them from somewhere far away; the hero playing the ocarina and talking to them too. They were talking about her too, curious as to how an outsider came to this sacred spot and knowing the song of the sage, but they talked about how kind she was.

A girl with short green hair appeared, smiling sweetly. Malon could see through her; was she a ghost? But there was nothing scary about this vision, but another warm, welcoming feeling came to Malon. The girl smiled sweetly at her, then looked over at him with a sad expression. Was it longing? She looked back at Malon, the sweet smile lighting her face again. "Please take care of him...he's my friend..." For some reason guilt crept in with the warmth in Malon's heart; she reached out, wanting to put a hand on her shoulder -

The girl disappeared, and the voices came back to whispers. The song stopped as well; he stood up and walked towards her. Malon blushed as he approached, and it wasn't long until his boots met the hard stone plinth.

Then a cracking noise issued between them; they looked down, kneeling as the egg between them started to hatch. The furry critter hopped on the other triangle of the Triforce pattern as the egg wobbled and cracked.

A sparkling silver Cucco chick hatched out, cheeping as fragments of shell fell from it. A note was inside the egg too; Malon picked it up. "Congratulations on finding the Golden Cucco's egg! 500 Rupees have been deposited into your account. Take care of the chick as she grows, and your wish will come true!"

Five hundred Rupees?! That would pay for an expansion of the ranch! But how could she repay him for it?

Suddenly she remembered - she rummaged inside her pouch for a moment. "Here's a four-leaf clover!"

Link took it from her with a look of stunned wonder on his handsome face. Then came a joyous grin. "Thanks, Malon."

Then he hugged her, leaving her surprised and pretty flustered. "Uh..i-it's nothing!"

Malon picked up the furry critter and looked back, frowning. "D'you know how to get back? I heard tales about people getting lost in the woods."

Link grinned again. "I know just the thing. Follow me!" Then he went down the stairs with Malon on his tracks, through the maze, out of the meadow...

They were back in the Lost Woods. Left, right, straight ahead, straight ahead, right past the pool of water, left past the stone arch, right where Malon met that scarecrow-like kid, straight ahead to another area with two tree stumps, left...

They were in an area with a lot of trees, a pretty steep drop where a ladder led down to, and the bridge Malon recognised; she crossed it earlier to find Link in the woods. "But how are we supposed to get up there?" she asked.

Link took hold of her hand, and said, "How about a lift?"

Malon blinked, bewildered. "A...lift? How -?"

He pulled her over to a large plant nearby, which lifted up into the air and hovered over the place. "What the -?!"

The plant flew between the trees in this area, towards the bridge -

Still holding each others' hands, Link and Malon jumped off the large plant and their boots met the sturdy wooden bridge. Malon's heart was thumping against her chest as she held onto Link. Then they headed through the hollow tree opening on their right, and headed out of the forest.

The light of day pierced their eyes, and at the entrance stood Epona, nuzzling at some flowers. The horse looked up and snuffled them both as they stroked her mane. Link mounted Epona, and Malon got on, holding his waist as they sat in the saddle. Epona broke into a trot past the tree roots, then galloped into the open. People were still out in the field, hunting for eggs and chasing furry critters around the field. Malon took one hand off Link's waist and felt her pouch on her front; the furry animal she befriended and the silvery chick cheeping happily, both were safely tucked away and would be cared for back at the ranch.

Later that day, Malon and Link had dinner at the ranch. Her father Talon was ecstatic to hear that they found the Golden Cucco's egg. "What wish did you make, Malon?"

Link looked away embarrassed, but Malon giggled, "It's a secret, Dad. All I can really say is...I made it."

Talon chuckled, "Yup, you sure made your wish!" He took a hearty swig of his milk, then said, "Well...better get the Cuccos in for the night. Link, Malon, could you get the horses in?"

After letting their dinner go down for a while, they rounded all the animals back to the barn. Ingo saw to the cows, and everyone got in the house for the night. And as the candles went out and the snores of Talon and Ingo rumbled gently around the house, Link slept on some sheets set out downstairs. The furry critter and the chick had their fill of food too, and promptly fell asleep. Malon looked at them fondly as she climbed into bed, whispering, "Goodnight", before letting the night and dreams about her wish take her.

A few years passed. The chick had grown into a Cucco with feathers of gleaming gold. Link and Malon were happily married. And peace continued to reign over Hyrule.

Malon leaned her head over Link's shoulder as they held hands, looking at the orange sunset over the fenced wall. The furry critter ran his usual laps around the ranch.

Her wish had come true.


End file.
